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This film features a impressive ensemble, depicting the true story of coach Brendan Ingle, who mentored a cheeky Yorkshire youth from Yemeni migrant family. Known as Naseem Hamed, the youngster was coached to confront racist bullies and molded into a media-friendly world champion in the late 90s. The trainer cultivated his showboating arrogance and powerful punches, but after achieving wealth, Hamed betrayed his coach, cutting him out and turning him into a mix of John Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Brosnan portrays the trainer; El-Masry takes on the part of Hamed, and Stephens appears as the assertive promoter Warren, who saw the goldmine that the coach had uncovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

However, the movie honestly lacks the fighter’s fancy footwork: the boxing sequences flow well, but the crucial story between them is consistently dull and one-note. There is no subtlety or light and shade in the portrayal of Hamed himself, and the actor, an otherwise excellent talent, doesn’t get the opportunity to show any subtlety or much of what might make his role truly engaging – even though he’s obviously been training and looks very plausible in the boxing arena.

Dialogue and Music Issues

The drama is repeatedly lumbered with utilitarian, explanatory dialogue that inform you exactly what is going on and what we are supposed to be thinking (“You started your career at age seven …”). It is the kind of script that streaming-TV producers call “second-screen”, ensuring you understand what’s unfolding while you’re watching the film but also checking your device. And, the background music is overbearing, sometimes almost deafening, especially in the scene where the boxer gets overexcited calling on the promoter in his palatial home.

Performances and Key Moments

Although El-Masry and Brosnan do their very utmost, their dynamic never really comes to life, and the big set-piece boxing moments are frequently disappointingly cut short. The most important moment is certainly when, provoked past his limit in the training facility one day by Hamed as a delusional “elder”, the trainer actually proposes to step into the ring and box him. All present in the room is shocked and uncomfortable. How exactly is this extremely risky standoff going to play out? What will be the ending? Certainly the Prince is going to kill him? Alternatively will he sentimentally hold back? It’s not clear.

Highlights and Humor

This isn’t to imply that there aren’t some good moments. Brosnan gets laughs when his character informs a journalist what he’s instructing the youths from his local community: to oppose bias and when you meet a offender, “Punch him in the bollocks”. Amusing too when Hamed squirms at the silly stunts the coach makes him do in the beginning: acting like the “monster from the Middle East”.

Storyline and Final Thoughts

As for the falling out, the movie depicts this as being exacerbated by a tell-all publication that the trainer is allegedly authored (a plot point evidently adapted from prior material), and there is an intriguingly imagined last discussion – however the emotional tribute that Hamed is supposed to have paid to his mentor after his death is merely referenced in the closing credits, and not shown on screen. There is interesting material in this film, but the blows fail to connect.

The film screened at the festival and is in UK and Irish cinemas from 9 January.